Chancellor Angela Merkel heads into a fourth term with no shortage of global challenges in her in-tray, as a world beset by crises increasingly looks to Europe's most powerful woman to take centre stage.

Amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump's growth agenda, US economists increasingly are worried about risks to the economy, though they see little chance of a recession near term, according to a survey released on Monday.

Dozens of unemployed people troop into a church in the working-class Garath district of Duesseldorf, western Germany each Friday to load up on donated food, a small gesture towards those left by the wayside in a booming economy.

Traditional heavyweights Fiat, Peugeot and Volvo may have shunned this year's Frankfurt auto show (IAA), but for Chinese and Taiwanese carmakers looking to make inroads in Europe the chance to step into the limelight was not to be missed.

Afghanistan is considering training and arming 20,000 civilians to defend territories where Islamic militants have been driven out, officials say, sparking fears the local forces could become another thuggish militia.

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart have pledged "stronger pressure" on Pyongyang, Seoul said Sunday, after North Korea defied tough new sanctions with a missile test and said it wanted to match American nuclear strength.

In an impassioned pro-EU plea, Austria's president Alexander Van der Bellen urged voters Tuesday to «carefully consider» their choice in October elections, which look set to return the far-right to power.

Hillary Clinton takes responsibility for her devastating loss to Donald Trump in her tell-all book about the 2016 presidential race, but she also blames Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Vladimir Putin and others, published excerpts show.

Explosions at a flooded Texas chemical plant -- which prior to Hurricane Harvey had a clean safety record -- sent a plume of toxic smoke spewing from the site Thursday, triggering concerns about the impact on local residents.

In times of uncertainty or crisis, investors typically take refuge in «safe» options like the Swiss franc, gold or the US dollar, but under President Donald Trump the greenback has lost its luster, especially to the euro.

Fashion week roars into Milan on Wednesday with hotly anticipated shows from fresh talent as well as from luxury titans including Moschino and Armani, who are battling for their share of a rebounding market.

Ancient whales had extremely sharp predator teeth similar to lions, Australian scientists said Wednesday in a discovery they believe debunks theories the mammals used their teeth to filter feed like today's gentle giants.

Opioid drug maker Insys agreed to pay $4.5 million Friday to end a lawsuit in which it was accused of deceptive marketing, one of the first settlements of civil suits that drug manufacturers face over a US overdose epidemic.